January 2017 - The Tale of Mummyhood

Love the Life You Live

By The Tale of Mummyhood | January 30, 2017 | Comments 100 comments

It’s human nature to look at a perfect Instagram feed and immediately assume that person’s life is better than your own. Its part of our make up to compare what we have, to the person who seems to have it all. It’s estimated that the average person spends one hour and forty minutes browsing their social media pages each day. How much of this time do we actually enjoy though, and how much of it do we spend beating ourselves up?

Social media is an outlet for many people, it allows them to be whoever they want to be. Instagram allows us to take images, crop out the mess and apply that filter that makes us look like we just stepped back into our teenage years. Facebook allows us to check ourselves into those swanky cocktail bars, where the images we post show us having the time of our lives. When in reality, we don’t really want to be there. We are knackered from chasing around after the children all day, we don’t really like the people we are with and we definitely could have done without spending that money.

Social media portrays perfection. It’s a liar, perfection just doesn’t exist. My favourite social media feeds are the ones where imperfections are celebrated. The ones that don’t hide the fact that the house is upside down and the toddler has dinner on her t-shirt. I love the ones where the bad is celebrated along with the good, proving that we aren’t always living the high life.

Looking through another’s feed often leaves us feeling down about our situation. It leaves us with a yearning for more, for better than what we have. It’s so easy for our confidence to be knocked, by assuming that life behind the lens is as ideal as it seems.

If we delve deep into our hearts to find out its true desires, often we are holding onto them for dear life already. We have love, we laugh, we have a roof over our heads and food in our bellies. We watch our children sleep peacefully at night and we have everything.

Social media is fun, but letting it get under our skin is dangerous. Step back, take stock and love the life you live. Regardless of how perfect you think someone else’s life is, take time to realise that you’ve already made it.

Days Out with Kids: My Top Tips

By The Tale of Mummyhood | January 18, 2017 | Comments 61 comments

Going out with small children is always going to be hectic. Since having Little E we seriously think about where we are going and how prepared we need to be. Truth be told, we have decided to swerve certain outings just for the ease of it.

Since the New Year I have really tried to get out more with the children. I don’t want them to miss out on anything just because it’s easier to stay in. January has seen me pick up a few skills in juggling my two little balls of energy when we are out and about. Here’s a little list of what makes our days out much easier:

Packing my bag with military precision…

I pack everything from nappies and wipes, to toys and snacks. We always take dinner for the small one with us and I make sure we have enough for Baby J too. We have hit that dreaded toddler stage where the food that she loves one day may end up on the floor the next, so having extra is handy just in case! I organise my bag so I can grab what I need straight away. I’ve previously had to rummage around for ages whilst trying to keep both girls happy, this just leaves me flustered. Having a well stocked, well organised bag is key!

Visit family friendly places…

This isn’t always possible, but finding places that cater for little ones is a huge help. Play areas and entertainment keeps them happy and wears them out, meaning they don’t get bored and frustrated. We all know that’s not a good combination for a toddler!

Take reins…

When I use reins on Baby J, it makes me feel a bit like I’m walking the dog. They are a god send though. At nineteen months all she wants to do is walk, the pushchair just doesn’t have the appeal that it used to. However, having Little E still on wheels means that I cant chase her sister if she decides to bolt. The reins allow Baby J and I the best of both worlds and with all that walking, she’s usually cream crackered!

Chill out…

I know this is often easier said than done, but sometimes just letting things go makes life easier. If they decide to have a tantrum, throw their lunch or empty the shelves in Tesco I take a deep breath and move swiftly on. Previously I’d have gotten anxious, stressed and bundled them in the car to go home. Moving on and letting things go means that the whole day doesn’t get spoilt…deep breaths guys!

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Her first ever @harryramsdensuk ! The look on her face says it all! #yummy #dinner

A post shared by Zoe Bell • Blogger (@thetaleofmummyhood) on Jan 17, 2017 at 10:57pm PST

A lot of these points seem so obvious, but we have been caught out so many times and ended the day feeling stressed out and a little defeated. Having children changes our lives immeasurably, but being prepared is half of the battle!

How to Burn Easy Calories at Home

By The Tale of Mummyhood | January 11, 2017 | Comments 28 comments

The New Year is upon us, and up and down the country many people will be hitting their new exercise regimes harder than ever before. The problem with waiting for January 1st to adorn yourself in your fancy new kit, before heading to the gym with good intentions in tow, is that it’s never going to last.

I appreciate that this sounds super negative, and it won’t happen like that for everyone. However, fitting a gym visit into you’re already incredibly busy day often becomes a chore.

There are easier ways though! Ways that you can easily incorporate into your day around naptimes, school runs, work and cooking the tea. Not to mention everything else you have to do around the house. With these easy to do exercises you’ll increase your heart rate, build up a sweat and burn those stubborn calories!

Stair climbing:

Now lets keep things real, I’m not talking about running up and down stairs like a crazy person. A) that’s boring and b) if you have neighbours they would not be happy! Step up and down on the bottom step at a respectable pace, put the laptop a few step up with you’re favourite boxset on and you’ve cracked it. This may not seem like a great exercise, but whilst you’re catching up on Netflix’s finest you could burning up to 200 calories in 20 minutes. That’s definitely not to be scoffed at!

Running on the spot:

Again, this may not sound that appealing but running on the spot could burn up to 100 calories in 20 minutes! All you have to do is remember to get on those feet, maybe when your favourite program is on? Maybe when the kids have gone to bed or are having one of those rare occupying themselves moments? Finding the will power isn’t always easy but I guarantee you, if you keep it up for a couple of weeks you will start noticing your body change inside and out.

Skipping:

This is one of my favourites, especially on Summer nights after it’s cooled down a little. Getting your skip on could burn up to 100 calories in just 15 minutes, and once you get into a rhythm it’s great fun!

Walking:

The old faithful, and one that you can get the whole family involved in! I don’t think there’s much better than getting outside for a bit of exercise and fresh air. Depending on your pace, walking is a great calorie burner at around 90 calories for every 15 minutes you have your power boots on! I must admit I do find it harder to get out in the Winter. I’m not a fan of the cold but gearing up and biting the bullet always makes me feel better in the end.

So there you have it, super easy ways to burn calories at home. Not only is it easier than getting to the gym but it’s cheaper too!